Month: December 2010

The People’s Mass

Poetry Gigs

I went to The People’s Mass last night, an event organised by The Oubliette at Limelight Church – squatted and made into a venue, complete with automatic-sensor-flush toilets and a fully stocked bar.  A nice stage space was also set up with a curtain backdrop and plenty of seating.  I was greeted with a warm welcome from fellow performer Alain English.  His energy made me realise how knackered I was but it was really nice to see him.  I then got my travel money and drinks tokens from Catherine Brogan, the host of the evening.

It started pretty soon after I arrived and I was first on.  There were a decent amount of people there, and whilst loads more people arrived throughout the night I was glad I read earlier in the night because some people appeared to be there for the wrong reasons and just would not SHUT UP!  I hate that, it’s so rude, Catherine even had to tell people to be quiet so she could perform a poem.  It was also really annoying that people smoked in there.  Anyway, I felt a bit nervous and under-prepared when I started, and didn’t feel like it was going too well, probably because I was doing a poem I’ve done about once before a year ago.  I got more into my set and think it ended up being okay overall as both Catherine and Alain described it as ‘beautiful’ and a lady in the toilets told me I should sing more… oh yes, I sang again – I did Fix It for the second time.  This lady I later realised was another performer, Helen Walford, who was one of many great singers of the evening.  Although there were technical difficulties for some of the time, it was a really good night.

Amongst the poets, I remember enjoying Captain of the Rant, but E.Amato made me want to buy her book, and I would have but I forgot and had to leave early so dashed off in the middle of Poeticat who I always enjoy, yet am jealous of Cat’s musicians.  I was glad they did the Moomin Song before I left though because I love it loads!

So, I’ve been catching up with writing my diary which took over two hours as I had a month’s worth of news and I don’t think I even got into everything.  I’m going to be posting quite a few blog posts in the next couple of days… or at least I intend to… everything always seems to take longer than planned.  I hope to write a few I won’t post up until later so it’s not overloaded, but we’ll see.  I also have left my camera lead… was about to say “at home” but I meant to say “in Norwich”, but anyway, it means I won’t be doing video blogs for a while and won’t upload my poetry readings for a few weeks.  I’m really wanting to move out as soon as possible after the summer and really hope to get on this UEA London Creative Entrepreneurship MA course!  I was talking to Alain about how all the poetry shizzle seems to go on in London and it got me thinking… I’d really like to live in Norwich.  I can always stay with my parents and friends when I’m in London and it’s not that far away.  It just seems a shame, as much as I love London, that everything has to centre around it.  Especially as UEA is meant to have an amazing reputation for writers… the city itself doesn’t seem to offer as much and I want to change that.

Anyway, I’m beginning to digress! 

Adios

xxx

Mistletoe and Whine

Poetry Gigs

Just came back from the last UEA CWS open mic of the year.  I’m on a certain antibiotic at the moment which is supposed to give you an insane headache if you drink alcohol on it so I spent 60p on two pints of blackcurrant squash.  Seeing as I’ve already spent nearly all my money on Christmas presents, this no drinking thing is probably for the best.  I’ve been going to alcohol counselling in an attempt to stop binge drinking and develop a healthier relationship with alcohol so it was interesting when I went to the last LitSoc social sober.  The pub crawl part was actually really fun, and I think I made the most effort of anyone with the two members (who weren’t the committee or friends of the committee) that showed up.  The club was where it went downhill.  I hadn’t heard good things about the change from Po Na Na’s to Lola Lo’s but I went in with an open mind.  Sadly, I couldn’t take advantage of the free vodka, and the mince pies never turned up.  From then on, I felt like I was waiting for people to get drunk, and couldn’t really talk as the music was so loud.  Eventually some of us danced for a bit, but then the others got fed up and I left early with a few people.  It was around 1am so I felt that was an okay time, considering I still had lots of coursework to do!

Anyway, back to tonight.  I felt more nervous as I don’t think I have done a gig without a little dutch courage for over a year at Starbucks (they don’t do alcohol).   Anyway, I felt like it went well and got a couple of compliments, not only on my poetry but also my outfit – Reko dress, white tights, vintage shoes and a Father Christmas hat.  I got to speak to Leo Hunt who I remember liking the last time, and he’s a nice chap.  I also remembered how much I adore Greta Healey’s voice; again, I think my Words & Music lecturer would like it.  Anyway, I read a new poem called I Am No Better which was inspired by events at Hop Farm Festival last year, including a drunken vision of Kaya Scodelario (Effie from Skins), so it has been a long time coming, but hopefully that means it’s a gooden.  I then dedicated my poem Passing Time, to a guy I’ve been acquainted with for a couple of weeks who said he’d never go to see poetry.  I then did Drama as I was reminded of it whilst doing research for my Children’s Literature module.  I finished on Tick the Box, which another performer told me they liked best.

So, I was happy.  On top of that, I won a chocolate prize for my attempt at the fancy dress! As the only effort was the hat, I’m pretty pleased… though am not sure I should be as the rest was just a normal outfit!  Oh well, chocolate, can’t complain!  I really enjoyed Christopher Ogden’s prose piece and think I prefer it to his poetry, which is unusual as it is more difficult to keep the audience’s attention with prose.  Angela Robinson was really enjoyable again, and I find her work very cinematic, in an American way, but in a positive way that makes you want to take a trip! Chris Gray was next and his set was really funny, and delivered with confidence.  Catherine Woodward is someone who impresses me more and more each time I see her, and is published so hopefully would be able to get her for a pure LitSoc event if we end up doing that. 

Robyn Comfort did a nice mix of poetry and song to acoustic guitar, including one about her boyfriend which was sweet; it reminded me of when I read at the Poetry Cafe and dedicated a poem to my boyfriend at the time, and how in that moment I made his heart feel more for me than he ever has since.  Amy Wragg didn’t turn up, which I was disappointed about as I was looking forward to hearing her read.  Laurie Eaves was as good as ever, and even worked a reference to one of Angela’s poems in his.  Josephine Lister was headliner, and I’m still working out what I think about her poetry, as she’s quite loud and so maybe she should have more variation or something, I can’t put my finger on it, that said, I loved her poem The Way You Look Tonight.  I also think I might fancy her just a bit.

I’m really wanting to break open my chocolate snowman, but I’ve already had a massive Homemade Quorn Cottage Pie that should really serve two, and a strip of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk.  I should also go to bed now as I still have essays to edit and expand upon (UNDER the word limit!)  I also need to draw and scan in illustrations for my creative project for Children’s Literature.  Then once that’s over, time to start on my Creative Entrepreneurship MA application and reading for my dissertation.

xxx

I also realised I didn’t do any Christmas-themed poems, so here’s one from last year:

Nativity

 

You were Father Christmas in the nativity.

I was a snow flake.

If we met in reception I wonder

what we would be now,

and whether we would have been friends

back then.

Would you have pulled my hair?

Would you have known my name?

In the playground playing games

would you have been my aim in kiss chase?

Or would you be kicking a football

while I was tangled up I skipping ropes

and standing on one leg in hopscotch?

Would you save me if I was stuck in the mud?

Find a plaster for my grazed knees?

Or be the cause for my bruises

for pushing me too hard?

You, eating Christmas dinner in the hall.

Would I be on pack lunch at this time?

‘Cause I always changed my mind.

Would you watch my cartwheels

or comment on my hairy legs?

Would we keep in contact?

Grow older as friends.

Or more.

Would we be shy?

Would we camp together at music festivals?

Would I fall in love with you,

and your family,

would they call me their baby?

Get pissed together?

Bite nails and smoke cigarettes?

And experience what went on behind bike sheds?

Because in reality I stopped riding bikes at secondary school.

Would we comfort eat?

Or have someone to share the cakes with?

Would we swap presents every year?

Would we write pain into our history books

or just play hangman at the back of the classroom?

Would I go away?

And you come visit me,

hug goodbye

but always say see you soon.

Would you ride off with reindeer to the moon?

And dust me off your shoulder.

Would you see life without me is colder?

Share a bed with a hot water bottle, one duvet

and two pillows.

Aisle16: Poetry Boyband

Inspiration

This weekend my oldest friend, Hannah, came to visit me in Norwich and I made her come with me to celebrate 10 years of Aisle16 at The York Tavern, a pub on the end of my road.  Luke Wright hosted the evening, tying up the loose ends with poems about the poetry collective.

I was familiar with most of the performers individually, but not the first two.  Joel Stickley was on first and I remember enjoying his set but looking back the poem that really sticks out in my mind is the one about fish: clever and witty – both boxes that need to be ticked to be a member of the group.  Archie Macjoyce was next and although I feel like I should like everyone who performed, I have to be honest, and I could either leave his name out, or admit I was less keen.  I think I may have preferred his act without the music background, maybe that was it.  Anyway, then there was Tim Clare who I’ve seen perform a lot recently and am quite frankly sick of him… just kidding!  He was obviously enjoyable as always.

In the break, me and Hannah began to turn into teenagers, and Aisle16 were simultaneously morphed into a poetry boyband.  We admitted over our fourth drinks that we actually both fancy Tim a bit.  And later face the dilemma of who’s hotter – Ross Sutherland or Chris Hicks?  Sure, Ross has amazing hair, but look at the arms on Chris!  If only they did posters we wouldn’t have to choose.

The feminist in me is a bit begrudged the group doesn’t have any girls in it.  Then again, maybe that’s why I turned into a starstruck teenager in their presence.  There was an a’cappella performance from a token female so that’s good enough for me. 

Chris Hicks was up next, with a voice that would be sure to seduce my Words & Music lecturer.  Oh, and his poetry was good too.  Jason Raper and John Osborne carried on a good show through to the next break. 

During this interval, Luke Wright came up to thank me for the review I did of his live show.  I was still a teenager. Well and truly starstruck.  I didn’t know where exactly he saw it as it’s not out in Concrete yet, and I post this blog in three other places than here.  Anyway, that was really nice but I was such a loser and shy despite my drinking.  Straight afterward Tim Clare said “hello Carmina” and I had no idea he knew my name so I had a double whammy of starstruckness and pretty much acted the same way.  I’m really going to have to work at being a normal human being.

Anyway, next up was Joe Dunthorne, who I met at an event I was working at for Penned in the Margins in the summer.  Again, I really liked it, but the highlight of the night was when Ross and Chris joined him for a poem together and it was AMAZING!  Proper boyband stylee haha.  Ross was last up, another favourite after constantly reading over his latest book prior to publishing whilst on my internship.  Luke then finished off the night to the sound of party poppers and me and Hannah rushed off to try to get the bus to go from one birthday party to another.  We had to wait an hour, but that’s another story.

I did notice Ross was wearing what I only assume are my lost trainers.  If they are a size 8, then they are most definitely mine.  I post the following poem as a plea: give them back!

Adidas Trainers

 

Two sizes too big,

cosy and warm,

bought in Camden

at a second-hand stall.

You walked away from me in the night

and I don’t know where to look.

you were dragged from place to place,

having to call each one home.

You have been trapped in wardrobes,

only to be taken out occasionally,

mostly on rainy days;

you did not enjoy the puddles.

So you left me.

You left me to look for something.

A truth and reality

amongst the confusion.

You went outside without me,

you went outside alone,

perhaps you’ve gone

to find your first home.

xxx

The Petty Concerns of Luke Wright – Norwich Arts Centre

Inspiration

Luke Wright is as close as you can get to a celebrity in the world of poetry, and when one sees him walk around, it can be easy to assume he is something of a moving statue of bravado and one-liners.  He introduces Tim Clare as warm-up act and tells the audience he fears he will be up-staged by the support.  Having seen Clare at Word of Mouth recently, he pretty much made the crowd fall in love with him; however this time he was noted as slightly less impressive so perhaps this was an attempt to place Wright on top.

After a break, Wright appeared again, heading over to a nearby laptop to fiddle with leads as his computerised introduction was soundless.  He went on to describe this show as an exploration of ‘ego, ambition and humility.’  The statue was about to show his cracks.  The show began with a familiar tale of his skinny jean days, number one of seven, kicking off the telling of his journey to success and wanting to be a ‘star.’

Mixing in comedic anecdotes with sympathetic story-telling and, of course, the poetry; he comments on MySpace fame culture with Thanx 4 the ad, the importance of Manchester mentor Mr. Blank, and his own failures and frustrations with self in Luke’s Got a Joke.  There are enough jokes to keep you laughing, yet still poignant moments of beauty and vulnerability, for example, as he tells the audience of fellow performance poet David J asking him ‘what you trying to forget?’

The evening progresses like a scrap book with photographs on the backdrop, alongside comments found Googling himself; he reveals ‘under the chipped nail varnish of my life, were the same bitten fingernails.’  In an attempt to grow-up, with a wife and baby on board, we get Mondeo Man and a recital of a section of Philip Larkin’s Dockery &Son.  Wright concludes that you can’t change who you are, but maybe you can dilute it, asking the audience to Raise a Glass with the final poem.

Perhaps the best way to judge a performance of poetry is whether, when lying in bed, about to close your eyes, you reach for the alarm-clock-cum-phone and type in lines of your own attempts at poetry.  Whether that happens, well, you’ll just have to see for yourself.